Call Lightning 5e - D&D 5th Edition Spell Book
Call Lightning 5e Spell Effects
3rd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
A storm cloud appears in the shape of a cylinder that is 10 feet tall with a 60-foot radius, centered on a point you can see within range directly above you. The spell fails if you can't see a point in the air where the storm cloud could appear (for example, if you are in a room that can't accommodate the cloud).
When you cast the spell, choose a point you can see under the cloud. A bolt of lightning flashes down from the cloud to that point. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d10 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On each of your turns until the spell ends, you can use your action to call down lightning in this way again, targeting the same point or a different one.
If you are outdoors in stormy conditions when you cast this spell, the spell gives you control over the existing storm instead of creating a new one. Under such conditions, the spell's damage increases by 1d10.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th or higher level, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 3rd.
All information on Call Lightning 5e comes from the DnD Player's Handbook.
Classes That Can Cast Call Lightning 5e
Of all classes in the Player's Handbook, only druids gain access to casting call lightning 5e. Yes, call lightning is purely a druid spell.
You would think that sorcerers, wizards, and even nature domain clerics should perhaps be able to cast the spell, but the official rules say otherwise.
Call Lightning Spell Effectiveness
| Damage | 3rd-Level Spell | 4th-Level Spell | 5th-Level Spell | 6th-Level Spell | 7th-Level Spell | 8th-Level Spell | 9th-Level Spell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage Dice | 3d10 | 4d10 | 5d10 | 6d10 | 7d10 | 8d10 | 9d10 |
| Average Damage | 16.5 | 22 | 27.5 | 33 | 38.5 | 44 | 49.5 |
| 3-Target Damage | 49 | 66 | 82 | 99 | 115 | 132 | 148 |
| Average Fighter DPR | 19 | 23 | 27 | 30.5 | 34 | 37.5 | 41 |
Call Lightning Spell Damage
This table provides information on the damage that Call Lightning 5e could do, as compared to a fighter of a similar level (based on the level it would take to cast each spell level). Average fighter DPR refers to their damage per round, which is roughly calculated prior to factoring in hit chance. Also, note that call lightning could easily hit more (or less) than the 3-target damage numbers shown above.
Call Lightning 5e Usefulness
Every spell in D&D 5e that can hit multiple targets has the potential to be absolutely game-breaking when it's cast in the right situation. Try using call lightning in the following ways to maximize its usefulness for you.
- If you're outside, and see multiple enemies clumped together - at least 2, but preferably 3 or more - blast them with call lightning for some huge damage.
- Cast call lightning 5e on any enemies who (somehow) have lightning vulnerability, to double your damage.
- Since you can call down lightning bolts using this spell, every round, for no additional spell slots, try using it when you're besieged. That is, if your enemy has to attack into your position, then the cloud you created can continue to rain down lightning damage upon them.
- For additional value, cast call lightning 5e whenever you happen to be fighting in a storm. Since the spell deals an additional 1d10 damage in stormy weather, this is an excellent time to go crazy with lightning.
- Finally, cast call lightning against enemies with low Dexterity save scores. The higher your hit chance with call lightning 5e, the less likely you are to have your spell damage halved from successful saving throws.
Lightning Damage Resistances, Immunities, and Vulnerabilities
When using call lightning 5e, it's worth knowing ahead of time that in the DnD Monster Manual, there are 35 monsters with lightning damage resistance, 10 monsters with lightning damage immunity, and yes - 0 monsters with lightning damage vulnerability.
Of course, you may come across situations where your dungeon master throws in enemies who have lightning damage vulnerability, but aside from that, call lightning only has liabilities. As with spells like acid splash 5e and burning hands 5e, where tons of monsters have resistance, be very careful about using call lightning on enemies. The worst thing you can have happen is to only deal half damage - or even no damage - against enemies, from casting your 3rd-level spell.
Combine Call Lightning with the Following Spells
Pretty much every damage-based spell becomes more powerful when combined with other spells. Try out some of these high-powered mixtures for some spectacular results.
- Alarm 5e: this one's a little more for fun than optimization. But just imagine setting up the alarm spell while you sleep outdoors. If a group of goblins comes to ambush you, not only are they surprised when your party is already awake, but they'll be absolutely stunned to see the flashing light of an incoming lightning bolt.
- Bane 5e: as with basically every damage spell in D&D, casting bane on your target to lower their saving throw by 1d4 before crushing them with lightning is a major plus. Note that since bane, like call lightning, is also a concentration spell, you'll need to have an ally to set up this combo.
- Haste 5e: since call lightning 5e says that "on each of your turns until the spell ends, you can use your action to call down lightning," it isn't perfectly clear if the limit of lightning bolts is once per turn, or once per action you spend. If the limit is actually actions spent, then having haste maintained on you by an ally actually allows you to effectively double-cast call lightning each turn, causing really massive damage into entire groups of enemies. In any case, this is one where you should strongly consider asking your dungeon master for backup, to let you have some lightning-based fun.
Call Lightning 5e Counters
As with any spell that requires concentration, you have to be cautious about taking damage, or else the spell effect could fade. Also, just note that any enemy who has silence 5e can prevent you from casting call lightning. Meanwhile, enemies affected by Bless 5e have +1d4 on their Dexterity saving throws, making call lighting less likely to hit for full damage.
Perhaps one of the biggest counters to call lightning 5e is that enemies can simply leave the 60-foot radius area that the cloud covers. Once enemies are out of that area, they can no longer be targeted by that same call lightning spell.
Call Lightning-Type Spells in Eternity TTRPG
In the Eternity TTRPG Game System, there are actually a number of spells very similar in nature to Call Lightning 5e. I've provided one example below, in case you're interested in other Games Like DnD which you may not have heard about before.
Dice, Dungeons, Games & More - Eternity TTRPG
Share This Article
Author - Jacob Tegtman
Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed this article. Tabletop gaming has been a passion of mine since I was 6 years old. I've played just about every game from Dungeons and Dragons to video games like Final Fantasy. These games have inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry, and brought me endless hours of enjoyment.
I started Eternity TTRPG - and the indie tabletop game that goes along with it (Eternity Shop) - to share my love of gaming with others. I believe that in our technology-driven age, tabletop games help bring a sense of magic and community back into our world.
If you love the site, please share it with others! I have lots of gaming-related material for you to peruse and use in your own gaming sessions. If you have any questions about the site or want to contribute, just send me a message using the "Contact" page, which you can find in the site's footer.
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtIN1OHjTZQ Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG channel, um, where we talk about different happenings in the TTRPG universe as well as what's going on with our game, um, with the Sparks of Eternity universe. So I'm gonna try and keep this one short, sweet, to the point 'cause I have a lot of stuff I gotta get done. Um, so this weekend we are gonna be attending our first convention where we, like, have the official product to sell. Um, we have done conventions in the past. Um, I've been a part of two of those conventions. I know my husband has done a few more than that. And at those conventions, it was all about, like, just trying to keep the tabletop role-playing universe alive and explain what, um, we're trying to bring to the table with it, um, explain more about the world of Eternity and all that kind of stuff. Um, this go around, as I said, it's gonna be the first time [00:01:00] that we actually have a product. Um, and I know I've talked about it before. If you're new here, that's gonna be Sparks of Eternity Emanation, and it is a... We're still figuring out the wording of this, so if you've played it and have a better idea, let me know. But it is a tabletop role-playing combat party card game. Okay? So go ahead and, you know, think of your tabletop role-playing. You're gonna have dice rolls, you're gonna have different classes, and you know your classic stuff like the druid is a shapeshifter, assassin is, you know, assassinating and that kind of stuff, right? Well, now you take that, you put all their abilities into a deck and you start at level zero, you work your way up to level 10 and you just try to take out your opponents or survive the longest. You're... I mean, good luck to you either way, right? Um, [00:02:00] so that is what we're gonna be showing off at the convention this weekend. And with this convention there has been a lot of planning and it's just been like a labor of love trying to get everything ready for it, honestly. Because we have to travel for the weekend, you know, stay in the hotel, pack the car, make sure the dog's taken care of, all that kind of stuff, right? Um, but then we also have to think of the booth itself and, well, what do we want the table to look like? Do we need a tablecloth? What should the tablecloth look like? What about a background banner? And all this different stuff, right? And we didn't know we would be doing this convention until about two months ago. So it's been about a two-month scramble getting everything ready for it, all for this three-day weekend. And over this three-day weekend, we have eight hours on Friday, 12 hours on Saturday, and another six hours on Sunday. So [00:03:00] that's 26 hours over the weekend that we're gonna be vending, um, and hoping to do our best with it, right? Um, so one thing that I do wanna show you guys that I am very excited about is we went ahead and worked with an artist. Um, it is our new artist for, um, the Sparks of Eternity franchise, and he created our banner artwork, which I really-- I am so excited with what he created, um, for us to show off what the world of Eternity really is, right? Um, so here it is. And with this, you know, banner, we're trying to show, like, basically you as the player reaching out for all these different ideas, all these different sparks, while also giving itself to the lore of Eternity where you have The Stag and, um, Saint Ranroth on the other side, um, and just their storyline. Now, of course, you guys [00:04:00] don't know all the lore and everything behind all of this. We do and we cannot wait to reveal it all in due time, you know? 'Cause we have these plans that we're setting in motion, and this convention is just another part of that plan. So, as I said, I have a lot of stuff to get done leading up to this convention for the weekend, so we're gonna post this, you know, do all the work with that, and then continue getting ready. Um, we will be at the Pittsburgh Gaming Expo this weekend, and that is what we'll be doing. So if you happen to watch the channel and see us there, say hi. Um, if not, definitely keep following along with our journey and make sure you check out our website for the game that we're selling. Um, wish us the best of luck, and as always, like, comment, subscribe. Let us know how we're doing. Let us know what you wanna hear. Thanks, y'all.
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMFP7UHtWEU Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG, where we go over different happenings in the TTRPG universe, as well as talk about the game that we have been creating. Um, this go around, I think all of the hype is around, um, D&D World of Warcraft. Um, the Dungeon Masters, like, YouTube channel decided to go ahead and start a new campaign all around the World of Warcraft stuff, um, using all of those materials, even though it doesn't release until, like, mid-November. Um, so there's a lot of talk about everything that they're doing and what's going on. So I thought I'd give a little rundown of what to expect with the World of Warcraft expan- or excuse me, World of Warcraft, like, collaboration that's going on, right? So there was a lot of speculation when this first came out what it would be over. Like, is it gonna be one of the classic expansions like Burning [00:01:00] Crusade or Pandaria and just pull from one of those? Do we get any of the classic dungeons like Deadmines or Deepfathom? Um, and also what classes are they gonna bring to the table? What about subclasses and all of that kind of stuff? So I'm just gonna go over what we kind of know, um, and I think that's all that's been revealed. So with that in mind, you have, um- 13 World of Warcraft classes, um, along with they are featuring nine new and revised subclasses, and there's over 40 different specializations. So classic, um, classes that you're gonna be seeing from World of Warcraft is gonna be like Death Knight, Demon Hunter, your Druid, Mage, Priest, Monk, Warrior, Paladin. Um, they are doing the Evoker, which I think is relatively new compared to where the setting is of the, um, [00:02:00] guidebook that they're coming out with. Um, the book itself that they're coming out with, of course, has-- It does have your classic dungeons like Deadmines, and Deepfathom, and, um, Scarlet Monastery, uh, along with like Dire Maul and Shadowfang Keep. Um, so I think that's really neat that they're actually gonna do some of those, um, instances which I have fond memories of Deadmines especially 'cause, you know, that was just-- it was a classic. And they ended up coming back and remaking it for higher level which was really neat too to get more of the storyline there. Um, and then along with all of this there is like 50 monsters and 30 dungeon bosses that they give stats for in the guidebook which I think is neat because you're not gonna run out of monsters really easily with that. Um, I just hope that they reign true to like the [00:03:00] monsters that you would face and the different characters you would face in World of Warcraft like I think of the kobolds, um, in Elwynn Forest and how if you didn't, you know, prepare correctly you were gone pretty quick, right? Um, so I thought that was really neat. Um, I also think that they're reigning true to a lot of the professions and spells and magic items, um, such as Moonfire which I remember fondly from druids. Um, and then of course you have stuff like mounts and companion creatures that I think they're gonna bring into play as well, 'cause I of course remember like, oh gosh, you know, the classic horses that you see for any human. Um, and I specifically remember paladins riding them, so that was just in my mind. Um- Let's see what else we have. Oh, so subclasses that I found was gonna be like the Swashbuckler Rogue, the [00:04:00] Path of the Spiritual Guardian, and the Warrior of Mystic Brews. Which, why did that become the joke with your pandas in World of Warcraft? Why did they become the drunks? I never understood that. I still think it was a really cool touch, but now when I think of like pandas, and even Kung Fu Panda, for crying out loud, I just think of Po as like this drunk panda. Um, so I... Why did that become the thing? Yeah, um, with that all... Let's see. As far as what you can get, like D&D has this ultimate bundle going on where you get the whole like guidebook with all of the, you know, monsters, instances, potions, all that stuff. They also have like a map pack for the Icecrown Citadel, which you actually find in Northrend. [00:05:00] Um, so I think that's kind of neat. Um, and then they of course have the dungeon master screen. They have k- they have, um, the digital stuff to go all with it. Then they're doing like a promo with murloc minis. Which those murlocs, you know they're gonna have those as monsters, and you know they're gonna be mean and annoying, and they're gonna end up, you know, taking over your party pretty easily, 'cause that's what they did in the original World of Warcraft. And I had many bad experiences with murlocs, so when I hear that noise, I just, I, ew, you know, don't like it. Let's see. You know, it's just... When we think about this, right, I am so happy to see, like, us doing some world crossovers, uh, Dungeons and Dragons wanting to pull in more people. And when I [00:06:00] think of tabletop role play, my first thought actually does go to World of Warcraft, because that was like my first experience with playing a different character and having magical powers and having these different things to face and fight. So it's very nostalgic for me and, you know, in a way I kinda just want to get it for the nostalgia. Um, but the other side of this is like, is Dungeons and Dragons running out of ideas because they have to pull from existing universes? Or are they just doing what we already do when we make a campaign? You know, as a campaign, I think we pull f- As a dungeon master, campaign writer, all that kind of stuff, I feel like we pull from different things that we already see in the world around us. Um, for example, there was an anime, I'm trying to remember the name of [00:07:00] it. Um, but basically they got stuck in this video game, and you had to complete one level after another, and once you reached like level 100, you could finally leave the video game. Um, so I think we went ahead and pulled an idea of that, and like we would keep going back to this location. Every time we went to this location, it would be a different like level in it that we would ascend to. Um, sadly, that campaign never finished, but it's just another example of like we pull from the things that we enjoy, right? So if I enjoy from World of Warcraft, I'm gonna already pull ideas from that without needing the Dungeon Master Guide or needing D&D to do any kind of crossover. Um, but you know, they're bringing in two different names, um, for themselves between Dun- Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, bringing in two different audiences and, you know, bringing in new revenue for them, right? So, you know, I, I don't know. I think it's gonna be neat. I really like that they [00:08:00] wanted to do this kind of thing. But I mean, we already do that as people that make their campaigns as dungeon masters. So at what point are we really doing something new? I don't know. Leave your thoughts down below. Comment, like, subscribe, do all the stuff, and we'll catch y'all next time.
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UteTnsp4yIE Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Eternity TTRPG YouTube channel, where I discuss different happenings in the tabletop role-playing universes, as well as talk about the game that my husband and I have been developing. So we've already gone over all of the races in the world of Eternity. Um, you know, your basics from human all the way down to espers and jaidori and treants, which are pretty neat races, if you ask me. Um, but we have not gotten to classes, right? So the classes that I wanted to start with is gonna be the first six classes that you're exposed to in Emanation, which is the card game that my husband and I came out with. So that is a combat TTRPG card game. And in this game, we show off six classes to start with, and we picked out the classes that we thought could showcase, um, a little bit of the creativity when it comes to Eternity, but also [00:01:00] some of your favorite classics that you would see in, like, D&D and other role-playing games. So to start that off, I'm actually gonna talk about the different types of classes first. So we have it split up into your casters, your, um, fighters, and your, like, spell casters, which is gonna be your crossover, a mix of the two. So the two fighters that we feature in the Emanation box is gonna be the assassin and the berserker. So the assassin is always, uh, bringing final memories for people. So since the Eternal Wars, they have been the masters of death who train to deliver a sudden death. So their main ability and what makes them the assassin is, of course, their ability to assassinate. Um, so they like to lay in shadows, build up their lethality, and then spend all of it to deal a final blow or a very, um, difficult blow, right? And then you think about your berserker, [00:02:00] and berserkers, they are furious and brutal. The more rage they have, the more power they have. And a berserker never feel, fears up-and-close encounters with anyone. So with the berserker, they are all about let me hit as much as possible, as hard as possible to as many people as possible, and that's kind of how the class was built with Emanation in mind. So the other thing about berserker to keep in mind, though, is that they are probab- they are the class that has the least health across the board when playing Emanation. So the goal is definitely, um, to get everybody before they get you. So may the rolls be in your favor. Eternity TTRPG has released a card game battler which emulates combat from the tabletop role-playing genre. Sparks of Eternity: Emanation is fast-paced, easy to learn, and features six classes from your favorite TTRPGs. [00:03:00] Each class deck comes with its own set of unique abilities which everyone plays at the same time so there's never any downtime at your table. Each turn, everyone's characters levels up, giving players access to even more options. If you're interested in taking a look, we have our sales page live now, packed with details. So moving on to your caster classes, that is gonna be your druid and summoner in Emanation. So the druid, of course, is gonna be a classic class that we see in a lot of ta- tabletop RPGs with your idea of shifting into different animals and working with the nature around you, right? The class lends itself to the Jadorian treant races because those were the protectors of the wild's floral fauna and the Tree of Life. Um, so a lot of your treants and Jadories are recommended to be druids. But that's just Eternity lore for you. The other caster class is gonna be the summoner. The [00:04:00] summoner was actually my first character in this um, world of Eternity, so it has a special place in my heart a little bit. But summoners are the gatekeepers of the world, and Through their portals, they can, like, pull different things out of these portals, um, and just, you know, summon them, use them, use their abilities. So they're definitely more of like a, "Hey, I'm gonna stay back here and send my summon in to do all the work." Um, they also take advantage of what's called a grand summoning. So rather than attacking every single turn in the game of Emanation, they're gonna take a turn to build up, and then on that next turn, they're gonna do something big. So they could, they could do, like, one damage to everyone or two damage to one person or a really big heal to themselves. So that makes them kind of fun, and it does have its trade-offs. So then the last two classes, which I also think are, um, really just I've [00:05:00] seen them in Eternity tabletop role-playing, so I don't know how they would translate to other tabletop role-playing games. And these are also going to be your spell fighters, and that is the Judge and the Oracle. So with the Judge, um, they are supposed to be the keepers of peace. They install law and order, and they're often acting as the accuser, judge, and jury. So it's, uh, definitely a play on law bringing and whatnot. So the Judge itself, when you're playing it in the world of Emanation, is that it defends itself as often as possible. But when it is not defending, it hits really hard. So it's definitely like another trade-off class. You go like every other turn, you want to do this to do that sort of thing. And it's also a really difficult class to actually target, um, so that's kind of a fun quirk with Judge. With [00:06:00] Oracle, Oracle is arguably the hardest class to play in the game of Emanation, um, just because of the different technicalities of it and how it interacts with everything else. I definitely think Oracle is best in a three or more player situation rather than a 1v1 situation because, like, some of the abilities with Oracle is better on a group. So, for example, they have an ability called Chains of Con-Condemnation, which basically it takes two characters at your choosing, two of your opponents, and chains them together. So if person A takes a hit and takes damage from something or someone, then the Oracle gets to roll for person B to see if person B will get hit as well. So chaining them together so that way they both take damage, and then the Oracle comes out on top. So that's definitely a really fun note about Oracle and the class that it [00:07:00] is. So I know this was a quick rundown of these six classes that you find in Emanation, and like I said, some of them do translate to other tabletop role-playing games because sometimes you can't just, you know, change the classics, right? But we can still put our spins on them and see how it goes. Anyway, um, let me know in the comments which class you would really like to play, and if you wanna see more of the classes, always check out the website. You can always check out the game. Um, let us know your thoughts and comment, like, subscribe. We will catch y'all next time.